One of Hollywood most legendary character Actors died Sunday morning at the age of 83…

Beattie’s manager, Deborah Miller, confirmed the news to Deadline, saying that Beattie passed away from natural causes this morning, surrounded by his family and loved ones. No other details about his death were provided.

“Ned was an iconic, legendary talent, as well as a dear friend,” said Miller, “and he will be missed by us all.”

RIP Ned Beatty…

He had more than 180 screen roles. Here is a look at two of his most powerful performances:

“Deliverance”

Yes, he will always be known as the guy who caused a redneck hillbilly to scream out: “squeal like a pig!”

It’s one of the most shocking moments in cinema history – but it only works because Beatty made the character a real person: with emotions, shame, anger and everything else that really comes when you are assaulted on a river rafting trip…

This shocking, powerful film is one of the greatest films of the 70’s, and you can read more about it here – including how it was originally planned as a film for Marlon Brando:

Beatty also had a small but incredibly powerful role in “Network”, also one of the greatest films of the 70’s:

I work in TV. This film showed what my industry would become decades before it did, thanks to dialogue like this:

“I’m Mad As Hell And I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore!”

Yes, it’s one of the cinema’s most iconic lines, from a razor-sharp script by Paddy Chayefsky – and while New Anchor Howard Beale utters that classic line, here is a mesmerizing scene with Beatty explaining the rules of life to that stunned News Anchor:

Here is part of his tirade:

“You are an old man who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations. There are no peoples. There are no Russians. There are no Arabs. There are no third worlds. There is no West. There is only one holistic system of systems, one vast and immane, interwoven, interacting, multivariate, multinational dominion of dollars. Petro-dollars, electro-dollars, multi-dollars, reichmarks, rins, rubles, pounds, and shekels.

It is the international system of currency which determines the totality of life on this planet. That is the natural order of things today. That is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today! And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature, and YOU WILL ATONE!

Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale?”

A brilliant Actor in a brilliant film – it was nominated for Best Picture in 1975, along with “Taxi Driver”, “All The President’s Men” and “Bound For Glory” – and they all lost to “Rocky!”

What a year for cinema! This film is timeless and prescient and you can see all of it here:

RIP to the legendary Ned Beaty…

Categories: 70's Cinema, Academy Awards, Action Films, Art, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Film Noir, Great Films, Hollywood, Movies, Pop Culture, Revenge Movies, Talent/Celebrities

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